Introduction

Do your research, before you wind up in the show ring and the judge asks you about goats and you’re clueless!  Breaking your goat to lead is not easy. In fact, once you get to the show, it often feels like your goat never learned how.  Many people have different opinions on how to body clip your goat but there are definite ways that work the best.  Equipment might be expensive but it is needed to make a champion goat.  Also if you think you can throw your goat some weeds to eat you’re wrong.  And remember, although disbudding is not the most beautiful process it is one thing that insures safety!

What I Should Know for the Show

You never know what the judge at the fair could be like. First, always watch the judge. Another thing you should know is that cleanliness is next to godliness when showing goats.  Also, if the goat’s hide pattern shows that is a big distraction.  All judges have different preferences.  You should definitely know your goat’s weight, age, and what breed they are. If you go to a Junior Show, you should know that they have become the most competitive.

Age Divisions

There are different Levels in which one can show their goat. First a “Novice” showman has never shown before, but is less than 12 years old.  After you have completed grades 3-5 and have completed the Novice level you become a “Junior.”  Then, you become “Intermediate,” which is if you have completed grades 6-8.  Next, is the “Senior” once you’ve completed graded 9-12 (and are not over 19 as of January 1st of current year).  Finally, you can join FFA.  That stands for Future Farmers of America. 


Breaking Your Goat to Lead

Breaking your goat to lead is probably the hardest thing in the whole goat showing experience. First, you have to have a halter that fits properly in order to get your goat to lead.  Next, tie your goat to a wall, but don’t leave it unattended.  Never use a chain or collar to tie them. You can practice leading them on either side, but in a real show you always keep the goat between you and the judge.  When teaching a goat to lead you should keep the chain up under the jaw.  This gives you more control and leverage.

Bathing

People usually want to have their goats washed and spotless but to do this you have to wash them a lot and then they just get dirty again.  Most the time people are not aware of what washing does to their beautiful market wethers or show does.  Washing your goat removes all the oil from their skin.  Without this oil the hair becomes coarse.  It also makes them lose their bloom and body fluid.  This would happen twelve hours after bathing.  You should wash your goat at least one week prior to the show.  After you’re done, put a sheep blanket to cover them so they don’t get as dirty.  To haul them to the show take them in a clean trailer so it doesn’t undo your hard work.  On show day, if your goat is dirty you should try to spot wash it so it doesn’t take the oils out of their coat.  All Boer goats have different hide patterns, so watch out for this and don’t bring it in the ring if it is still wet.

Body Clipping Your Show Goats

People have many different opinions on how to body clip a meat goat, but I found this worked the best. The main thing is to clip against the hair and stay with the hairline.  You should remove all the hair above the hocks and knees.  If you leave the hair below their knees, it makes them look heavily boned which is a good thing.  Another preference is to leave a paintbrush shape at the end of the tail, not a switch, fan, or a tail of a poodle.  The switch, fan, and tail of the poodle makes the goat look wider and the rear end look narrower, which is not good. When clipping, be careful and try not to cross clip- this leaves lines in the hair.  If you think you are just not good at clipping, that is probably is not true because it is hard for youngsters to attempt.

Necessary Equipment

Some people lack some of the necessary equipment because they don’t think they need it. The truth is, you have to have certain items to properly show. First of all, you need a tack box to hold all your supplies.  You also need a stand so you can keep your goat still.  Electric clippers with 20-23 teeth on the blade are essential too because market wethers have to be clipped.  To give shots to your goats, you have to have syringes and needles.  To train you also need halters, collars, and choke chains.  Another very important piece of equipment is a shovel to pick up manure. Remember, even if the items are expensive, you still need them to properly show a goat.

Optional Equipment

Some equipment isn’t absolutely necessary for showing but it might give you a head start or give your goat some luxury. You might want a blow dryer so you can dry your goats quickly.  A livestock scale is also nice to have, so you can weigh your market goat.  To keep your goats cool in the summer, and at the fair, you might want to think about having electric fans.  If you bring those, be sure to bring extension cords.  People sometimes don’t want this equipment because it’s costly but it might help calm your goat. 

Feeding Guide

Some people think they can just turn a goat out in a weedy field and they will survive on that. They might survive, but this is not the way to prep a market goat.  Market wethers today are striving to have their finish “bloom”.  People think goats will eat anything, but they are actually picky eaters.  Goats that are being shown or getting ready for market need to be fed more than average.  Market wethers getting ready for a show should eat an average of one pound of grain per day.  You want your goat to be lean and well muscled but not too lean.  Another thing is that you want little or no fat on their carcass.

Disbudding

When your little baby goat is getting disbudded they will scream like they’re dying and you might believe them. Still, you should disbud your goat at one to two weeks of age or when you first feel their little horn buds.  The supplies you will need are a disbudding iron and a wood box to hold the little goat. Your goat might scream but it doesn’t actually hurt them that much they are just trying to make you stop it.  Once you are done disbudding, you give them a tetanus antitoxin shot.  This will prevent the goat from having infections. 

Pinkeye

Pinkeye is an ugly disease that can make your goat permanently blind. Viruses or bacteria can cause infectious pinkeye.  Stress can also cause pinkeye.  Flies transmit pinkeye from goat to goat.  Signs of pinkeye are runny, red, and swollen eyes.  The dark part of the eye (cornea) becomes hazy and then turns opaque and cloudy.  If left untreated, the goat begins to lose its eyesight, and blindness can occur. 
Pinkeye is not the hardest thing to cure, even though it’s not a pretty sight.  Pinkeye is contagious.  If you think your goat has pinkeye, remove the goat from its herd and put it in a clean, cool, dry, shady location out of direct sunlight.  Sunlight aggravates pinkeye and delays healing.  Terramyacin is a very mild eye medication which will help clear pinkeye if it is just the starting.  Or use Nitrofurazone powder, twice daily in the eyes.  It has antibiotics and painkillers.

Lice and Mites                    

Lice and mites are disgusting! They can make scabs too. The signs of mites are serious scratching and white scruffy hair that sheds. Goats use their teeth, rear legs, and sometimes their horns to scratch.  Both lice and mites are small and oval shaped.  Mites are orange, but lice are dark brown.  If they keep scratching, they may lose weight.  The treatment is a parasite powder, spray on, or pat on.  If you are not sure about whether or not your goat has parasites, you should part their hair and examine their skin closely.

Soremouth

Soremouth is just chickenpox for goats and once you have it your stuck with it.  Soremouth is contagious Ecthyma.  The nicknames are orf, scabby mouth and contagious pustular dermatitis.  It is a viral disease for both sheep and goats.  A regular case heals up in two to four weeks.  Only in severe cases does weight loss occur.  There is a vaccine is prevent this.

Caseous Lymphadenitis (CL)

A CL, which is a chronic bacterial infection that is only contagious when it pops.  It causes external and internal lumps.  Corynebacterium Pseudotuberculosis enters the body through a wound in the skin, which causes an infection and a slow growing, firm abscess with puss inside.  CL’s are not the prettiest of the diseases.  It should be treated right away and handled carefully.
Conclusion
Do you want to be that person in the ring that has no knowledge about what you’re showing?  Well, probably not.  That’s why it’s important to be well informed before showing your goat.  The goat you’re showing can also be almost impossible to lead and sometimes they even know what to do, but they act like they don’t to try to take advantage of you.  Equipment is not cheap or easy to get but your goat might not be as gorgeous as it can be without it like if you were trying to body clip your goat without a clipper.  Some people’s goats do not have their “final bloom” that they need because they are not getting the amount of food that they need.  When your little goat gets its horns burned off it is not enjoyable to watch since the little goats stick out their tongues and scream like they’re going to die.  Some people don’t know what their goat has come down with and they don’t know what to do.  You might have the chance of your goat dying or spreading disease to the other goats in the herd if you don’t educate yourself. 

 

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